The freedom to teach (at the best)

Medical students' preferences for asynchronous online or face-to-face learning strategies in learning gross anatomy and neuroanatomy during the COVID-19 pandemic

Gross anatomy and neuroanatomy are fundamental subjects in medical education. However, learning different anatomical terms and understanding the complexity of the subjects are often challenging for medical students. At National Taiwan University, the 2020-2021 cohort adopted a face-to-face (F2F) learning strategy for gross anatomy and neuroanatomy lecture and laboratory courses until May 17, 2021. After the aforementioned date, the same cohort learned the rest of the gross anatomy and neuroanatomy courses via asynchronous online learning. This study aimed to evaluate the benefits of and students' preferences for F2F and asynchronous online learning strategies in learning gross anatomy and neuroanatomy. A survey with closed-ended and open-ended questions was used to quantitatively and qualitatively explore medical students' learning preferences for two teaching strategies in gross anatomy and neuroanatomy. The results identified different learning preferences among students in learning gross anatomy and neuroanatomy-satisfied with both learning strategies, satisfied with only F2F learning strategy, satisfied with only asynchronous online learning strategy, and satisfied with neither learning strategy. The survey results with closed-ended and open-ended questions showed that medical students preferred F2F learning for anatomical laboratory courses but favored asynchronous online learning for neuroanatomical laboratory courses. In addition, medical students considered peer discussion more critical in learning gross anatomy than neuroanatomy. These findings provide valuable information about medical students' preference for gross anatomy and neuroanatomy courses, which anatomy teachers can consider when planning to enhance their curriculum in the future.

Transforming histology students from passive lecture listeners into active lecture learners

Traditional academic lectures have long been criticized as providing a passive learning environment to students. Often, they do not capture the audience's attention, resulting in learners being distracted or bored and thereby reducing their learning efficacy. Consequently, they are being abandoned by many schools and universities as an educational modus or modified into more learner-centered experiences. This descriptive article outlines a strategy of inserting active learning PowerPoint slides into traditional histology lectures. Suggestions and advice for adding or improving existing active learning slides are being offered to readers, who are planning to modify their own lecture presentations. The author's experience of using this formative assessment strategy with different types of histology learners is also discussed.

Effectiveness of the Flipped Classroom Teaching and Learning Method Among Underachievers in Physiology: Experience From a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital

Introduction Traditional classroom teaching involves a process where knowledge is disseminated to students by the teachers through a one-way process. Such a learning environment makes students passive and muted, which can be improved by alternative teaching and learning (TL) methods like the flipped classroom (FC) technique. The FC approach involves a student-inclusive TL process. FC is a student-centered approach that benefits teachers and students by emphasizing the key information during the learning process. The present study aimed to understand the efficacy of the FC TL method and evaluate students' perception of FC among underachieving first-year medical students in learning physiology. Methods This prospective, descriptive, and cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 underachieving first-year Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) students in the Department of Physiology at a tertiary care teaching hospital. All the participants were taught cardiovascular physiology through the FC method. The study subjects were asked to take a pretest including multiple choice questions a week before the study. The study period was four weeks, following which the students were asked to take a post-test. A questionnaire was used to understand the student's perception of FC. The responses to the questionnaire were graded based on the Likert scale.  Results The mean scores of the post-test (19.40±4.22) were significantly (p< 0.05) greater than those of the pre-test (12.43±4.26). Regarding the perception of FC, 68% (68/100) of students agreed that the objectives, methodology, and outcomes were well-defined. Around 39% (39/100) of students strongly agreed that the study material was adequate, relevant, and easy to learn. Nearly 58% (58/100) of the students agreed that the competencies are dealt with completely in every session. Roughly 16% (16/100) of students agreed that the classroom time is sufficiently utilized for peer-based learning. Many (61%, 61/100) students agreed that sufficient time was given for learning. About 34% (34/100) of the students strongly agreed that the assessment tools were relevant. About 56% (56/100) of students agreed and 21% (21/100) strongly agreed that the FC method helped them to improve their understanding of the subject. More than half (54%, 54/100) of the students agreed and 18% (18/100) strongly agreed that the FC promoted self-directed learning. Most students (71%, 71/100) believed FC to be an interesting and satisfactory learning experience. Conclusions The results indicate that most students believed FC was an effective and innovative TL technique. The FC method could help underachievers improve their cognitive skills and analytical thinking and enhance exam performance.

Effectiveness of the "Hand as Foot" teaching method in human physiology: A randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

The "Hand as Foot" teaching method, an innovative approach in medical education, utilizes hand gestures to simulate anatomical structures and functions. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the "Hand as Foot" teaching method compared to traditional method in the "Human Physiology" course.

METHODS

During the 2023 spring semester, a randomized controlled trial involved 84 health management students. Participants were randomly assigned to the "Hand as Foot" teaching group or the traditional teaching group. A self-designed Likert scale was used to evaluate students' perceptions of teaching effectiveness, covering dimensions such as engagingness, intuitiveness, facilitation of understanding, enhancement of memorization, and effortlessness of learning. Additionally, a knowledge assessment test was administered to measure knowledge acquisition.

RESULTS

The "Hand as Foot teaching method" group (41 students) reported significantly higher ratings for all dimensions of teaching effectiveness compared to the traditional teaching group (43 students) (p ≤ 0.01). Despite the lack of statistical significance, the experimental group's test scores were notably superior (Mean = 6.35 vs. Mean = 5.94).

DISCUSSION

The "Hand as Foot" teaching method demonstrated superior effectiveness in engaging students, facilitating comprehension, and enhancing memorization. Its interactive and tangible nature provided a holistic learning experience, enabling students to visualize complex physiological mechanisms. Additionally, it fostered active student participation and a desire for deeper understanding.

CONCLUSION

While the "Hand as Foot" teaching method demonstrated strengths in engaging students and aiding comprehension, further researches with larger and diverse cohorts are needed to gauge its impact on learning outcomes and broader applicability.

Constructive alignment: Teaching introductory gross anatomy to sport science students

The purpose of this descriptive article was to illustrate the process of using constructive alignment in redesigning an introductory gross anatomy unit that is taught specifically to sports science and physical education students at Victoria University. The unit was redesigned as an intensive learning unit in 2017 as part of a broader university-wide process. The teaching team decided that the first stage of the constructive alignment process should be necessarily focused on an understanding of the career destinations of graduates from the courses. With this understanding, it became easier to work through the redesign of intended learning objectives, the shift from systemic to regional anatomy changes in content and learning support mechanisms, and alterations to assessment practices. A comparison of student pass rates for the unit from 2018 to 2023 with pass rates in the previous semester-long version of the unit, suggests optimism about the changes that were made through the constructive alignment process. However, there were a number of other factors that may have contributed to this result, and more research is needed on the specific effectiveness of the changes made during the constructive alignment process before a confident conclusion about the success of the process can be made.